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Topic: Studio Ghibli (Read 12318 times)

All classics:Grave of the FirefliesMy Neighbor TotoroKiki's Delivery ServiceOnly YesterdayPorco RossoOcean WavesPom PokoWhisper of the HeartPrincess MononokeMy Neighbors the YamadasSpirited AwayThe Cat ReturnsHowl's Moving CastleTales from EarthseaPonyoThe Secret World of ArriettyFrom Up on Poppy HillThe Wind Rises The Tale of the Princess KaguyaWhen Marnie Was ThereHow Do You Live? (Coming 2020ish)

7. Only YesterdayOne of Takahata's adult dramas. A film that feels so real and honest. There's a sad sense of nostalgia throughout the film- the sense of a confusing and disconnected childhood or the feeling of looking back on the happy moments from so long ago. Also present is the uncertainty and confusion of adult life. The back and forth between the protagonist's present day life and her childhood past works well, especially with the distinction between art styles (ultra-realistic for present day and slightly stylised and washed out for the past). A sensitive and beautiful film.

Spoilers

I just finished this now, your description is fantastic. I'm about to commence gushing.

The film's structure works perfectly. You can barely recognize 10-year old Taeko in her grown up face. I'd love to say more about this but the words aren't coming tonight, I'll sleep on it.The transitions, along with the art style create a vivid sense of nostalgia. This reminds me of Koreeda's Still Walking in that respect. They differ in context, but the themes certainly overlap. Still Walking builds a touching story and it's sense of nostalgia around the subsequent effects of a past tragedy over time. On the other hand, Only Yesterday has no tragedy other than time itself. That may be incorrect and it definitely doesn't do justice to the films, feel free to correct me if I'm completely wrong.

The characters are so human it feels like you've known them all your life. I found myself actually becoming emotionally attached to them, which is a rare thing for me. It could take me days of writing to find the right words to describe Only Yesterday so I'll keep the primitive analysis as short as I can. The ending was incredibly sweet, which reminds me of another film you could compare it with: Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress, particularly in regards to it's handling of time.

Glad you made this thread, I'll be stopping by to discuss others that I watch/have watched in the future, unless I die or something.Thanks.

Good, good. They've got an extraordinary catalogue which is most certainly worth checking out. Have you seen any others?

I do like what you mentioned about time in regards to both this and the Kon film. The unavoidable catalyst.

There such a strong sense of 'direction' and 'filmmaking' in Only Yesterday. It's entirely natural but I think it really makes Takahata stand out as strictly a 'director' unlike Miyazaki, the animator/director auteur. It's hard to describe but the film is so distinct and emotionally resonant, played out in Takahta's sense of human logic. There are some creative ideas and flourishes in the film which just seem so 'spot on' in that moment. The movie is based on a manga but it was actually Takahata's idea to have the entire adult Taeko aspect. It's hard to imagine the story without that dual-structure, there would be no point really.

Also, the film has one of the best main themes ever.

A little pissed off because a while ago I watched a making of documentary thing for this film and I can't find it (streaming) with English subs anymore. It was really interesting, it went on to discuss more than the film. Stuff about early Ghibli as well the curious working relationship between Miyazaki and Takahata (it's actually really fascinating, in this particular instance they don't talk to each other during production even though they're working on the same film- which is reflected in Goro Miyazaki's and his father's working relationship on From Up on Poppy Hill).Anyway, Spanish subs here. Still an interesting watch.

Good, good. They've got an extraordinary catalogue which is most certainly worth checking out. Have you seen any others?

I do like what you mentioned about time in regards to both this and the Kon film. The unavoidable catalyst.

There such a strong sense of 'direction' and 'filmmaking' in Only Yesterday. It's entirely natural but I think it really makes Takahata stand out as strictly a 'director' unlike Miyazaki, the animator/director auteur. It's hard to describe but the film is so distinct and emotionally resonant, played out in Takahta's sense of human logic. There are some creative ideas and flourishes in the film which just seem so 'spot on' in that moment. The movie is based on a manga but it was actually Takahata's idea to have the entire adult Taeko aspect. It's hard to imagine the story without that dual-structure, there would be no point really.

I've seen Mononoke HimePrincess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Both great films, I lean a little more in the direction of Spirited Away, Mononoke was difficult to understand at the time I saw it. I might watch it again sometime. Right now I'm dying to see Totoro.

In hindsight, mentioning Still Walking was quite arbitrary, I don't think I explained the connection I made very well at all.They're both very pretty. Human movies.

A little pissed off because a while ago I watched a making of documentary thing for this film and I can't find it (streaming) with English subs anymore. It was really interesting, it went on to discuss more than the film. Stuff about early Ghibli as well the curious working relationship between Miyazaki and Takahata (it's actually really fascinating, in this particular instance they don't talk to each other during production even though they're working on the same film- which is reflected in Goro Miyazaki's and his father's working relationship on From Up on Poppy Hill).

Well, to be fair, there is a 6 minute extended trailer out there as well as a bunch of reviews (it was released in Japan like last November), and there are a handful of interviews/features about the film/Takahata's artistic interests. I think it's kinda unfair to describe it as a simple animated storyboard, the look of the film is entirely intentional (to be expected from Takahata), drawing on Takahata's past decades of research. Takahata's a sort of expert on animation and Japanese art, in this film he's bringing together his appreciation of traditional Japanese styles as well foreign animators (Frederic Back). Takahata's spent the last 15ish years pursuing stuff academically rather making films (he had three projects at various stages of pre-prod research which I'm afraid he will ever get to make). It's good that he's finally released something (after the arduous production). Also, the original folk tale is pretty interesting. So there's a lot leading up to this film really.

His experimentation with art/animation styles seems like a logical continuation from his last feature film (though the Yamadas art style is pretty close to the original comic).

This has been floating around for a while in different forms, an interview/meeting between Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki. They cover some really interesting stuff. One cool thing about it is that is has Miyazaki talking about how he was struggling to make a Jidaigeki film and of course, in 1997 he released Princess Mononoke which is an absolute masterpiece.

Loved the Miyazaki/Kurosawa meeting, just read the transcript while they talked in the background. This might actually be the first time I've ever heard anything from Kurosawa's mouth. It's surprising when you have an idea of an artist through their work and then they talk and you realize they're still just people, albeit very talented and hardworking people, and often very intriguing.[redacted rant about Kaguya not winning and facial expressions in childrens movies]

When Marnie Was There seems like something I'll like. Kaguya too (I haven't even seen it yet and I was ready to make a fuss ).

He wasn't just one of the best animation directors in the world, he was one of the greatest filmmakers period. I keep on deleting what I'm writing here because it's hard to summarise how valuable his body of work is. He embraced his medium and all the things that made it unique and pushed it further than almost everyone else. All of his Ghibli-era films were powerful and emotional works- remarkably unique, beautifully crafted and above all, truly honest about the human experience and the world we live in.